RUISLIP RFC may not defend the Middlesex Cup they won last year out of protest at professional sides being allowed to participate this year.

The Middlesex County RFU have allowed national league teams like London Scottish and Ealing to take part, and other amateur teams like Staines, who Ruislip beat in last May's final, have already dropped out.

And Ruislip, who counted the Middlesex Cup among five trophies they landed last year, look set to follow suit.

Senior rugby manager Paul Flynn said: “We're a young side with an average age of 22, and I don't want to out my lads out against full-time professionals, they could get hurt out there.

“The likes of London Scottish have said they will only play their second or third teams, but we're talking about a cup competition here – will that really happen?”

Ruislip's young guns put in a proud performance on Saturday to earn a draw against North Walsham, who were themselves playing national league rugby not so long ago.

Ruislip found themselves a try down within two minutes, the North Walsham scorer being taken by ambulance to hospital with a fractured elbow, and were 12-0 down after 10 minutes.

Then came the first of two comebacks, with Tesh Edwards and Dan Porter both scoring tries for Ruislip to level the scores, before a penalty sent North Walsham in 15-12 up at the break.

A Joe Matthews penalty levelled matters after the interval, but two more North Walsham tries looked to have won it for the visitors, putting them 29-15 up with eight minutes left.

But then came the second comeback, front-rowers Gavin Long and Jamie Woodstead finishing off good forward moves to pull Ruislip level and rescue a share of the spoils.

Flynn added: “For our youngsters to come bacn not once, but twice, against a former national league side made for a very proud day.”

Meanwhile, there was another serious injury to an opposition player in the second XV game, which saw their clash with Old Albanians called off with the opposition 8-5 up, while the third XV had a fine result, hammering Enfield 78-0.